Flashbacks
by XxNeonShadowsxX
Summary: The training simulation isn't something the Team can forget easily, and the memories of watching their family around them die still occasionally sneaks up on them.
1. Robin

**A/N **I was rewatching Failsafe...why does that episode have to be so depressing? Anywho, I just randomly started writing, and this came out. I plan to do one from every one of the team's perspective too.

**Disclaimer ***insert witty disclaimer here, cause I can't think of anything*

-Aiva

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Dick squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out the images. He tried so hard not to think about what had happened, but sometimes the nightmares came anyway. Outside, the full moon and twinkling stars gave the night a peaceful feeling, a stark contrast to the turmoil inside the thirteen year old boy, who was far older than his years. He had wanted to become leader, hadn't he? Didn't he want to be in charge? He just didn't know things would go so badly.

Every second was still clear in his mind, a vivid, lingering memory Dick wished he could just forget. But of course he couldn't. Just like he couldn't ever forget watching his parents fall. First it was the Justice League, completely wiped out, vaporized by the alien rays. At least then, though, he had subconsciously known that it was just training, that he would wake and see Batman again. Then Artemis died, and that knowledge, that reassurance, disappeared. Suddenly, things had become all too real.

Miss Martian's heart wrenching cry as she screamed out Artemis's name, refusing to accept that it was too late for the blonde archer to ever hear her name again. And Kid Flash, Wally, Dick's best friend…the expression of unbearable hurt, quickly replaced by anger, the overwhelming thirst for revenge, for justice…Dick understood it far too well. It was like watching them fall all over again.

Then Aqualad was gone, and Dick had become leader. He had become another side of Robin, another side that viewed everyone as pieces in some twisted game rather than his friends, his _family. _That meant he had sent Superboy in to be slaughtered. M'gann had caught on and knew he would die, but Superboy went anyway. Then he was gone, and it was Robin's fault completely. _"I know I did what I had to…" _the words echoed in Dick's mind as he remembered, _"but I hated it." _But was that really necessary? Maybe. But that didn't make the guilt any better.

And then they had a plan. Robin knew it was too good to be true, but seeing the hope on Wally's face, he couldn't bring himself to say it. Robin also knew that he wouldn't make it out of the mother ship. _I'll die a hero, _he had thought, strangely comforted by that knowledge. He had hoped that Wally and M'gann would make it out though. But as more enemies rounded the corner, Robin had to make a choice. His friends had once again become pawns. Miss Martian was saved, but then it was Robin and his best friend. They weren't going to make it. Kid Flash recognized this; Robin could tell from the sad, determined look in his green eyes. A look no one should ever have to have. They had only seconds left.

Robin pulled of his mask. He wanted to die as himself, seeing at least Wally as his friend for the last time. Wally pulled his own cowl off. Secret identities didn't matter anymore. "I'm sorry," Dick had muttered, light blue eyes filled with guilt. The redhead embraced his friend, enemies forgotten. None of it mattered anymore. "There's nothing to be sorry for," he whispered back. The two inseparable friends were still hugging as the world exploded around them.

Even as the flames engulfed him, tore his body apart, Dick kept hold of Wally. He didn't want to be alone. He felt oddly at peace; it was over now, for them, anyway. At least Dick would die close to someone he loved.

The guilt still haunted him. He couldn't ever deal with turning _**it**_ off again. He couldn't do what Batman did so easily. _"I don't want to be THE Batman anymore." _He couldn't let his friends become pawns ever again.

He couldn't let anyone else fall.

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**A/N **I'm thinking of doing a certain redheaded speedster next...please tell me what you think! Reviews are greatly appreciated.


	2. Kid Flash

**A/N** As mentioned last time, I focused on a certain redhead in this one. ;) It's slightly WallArt focused, but...I really enjoy them together, and considering his reaction to Artemis's death...yeah. Hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer **Nope, don't own Young Justice.

-Aiva

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He had acted like it was no big deal. Even going through the therapy session afterwards, he flirted and acted like he was fine. But it hurt much deeper than the redheaded speedster let on. It still managed to haunt him, the flashbacks sneaking up on him occasionally, especially when he was alone. Just like he was now. Wally ran his fingers through his already messy hair, trying to distract himself, and failing.

First it had been his uncle, gone with the rest of the Justice League. But at least with that one, Wally could shake it off, knowing somewhere deep inside of him that none of this was real. Then Artemis was…vaporized. Even thinking the word made his heart ache and grief well up inside of him. He could still picture it, her silhouette outlined in the deadly beam of light before it was gone. M'gann's horrible cry as she screamed after Artemis didn't help. Somehow, Wally just couldn't get his brain, his heart, to accept what his eyes were telling him.

There was no way that Artemis had just died. Things became horribly, painfully real then. But at the same time, Wally refused to accept "reality". Artemis, with her grey eyes that shined even when she was glaring at him, sparkling with some inner light, with her golden hair, the long strands cascading down her back…she couldn't be gone. Then Aqualad had died as well, but Wally still remained distracted, angry, focused on the blonde archer that the others believed was unreachable, gone forever.

Finally, though, Wally found hope as he noticed the similarities between the alien rays and the zeta beams the Cave used for traveling. Though his mind knew that this was unlikely, his heart kept insisting otherwise. And thus his idea, his plan, was born. They would sneak into the mother ship, rescuing Artemis…and the others…and then blowing up the aliens. It would be perfect. Wally wouldn't have to lose anyone. Then things went horribly wrong. Superboy was vaporized next, sacrificed as a distraction.

But they snuck aboard anyway, managing to make it. Then Robin was forced to break the news to him. "They're not here!" he had snapped. Wally hadn't wanted to accept it. There must be some mistake…but his heart could no longer deny what his brain was telling him. And Robin finally revealed the plan he had all along, laying down the explosives on what seemed to be the power core. But as more of the alien things rounded the corner, Wally knew that maybe he would see Artemis a lot sooner than he had previously thought.

M'gann was able to go, led away by her uncle. But Wally and Robin had remained. Wally knew that they had only seconds left before the explosives went off. Robin pulled off his domino mask; for a second, Wally was shocked, then realized that it probably didn't matter anymore. Secret identities wouldn't be needed where they were going. He pulled the fabric away from his own face as well. "I'm sorry," Dick muttered. Wally knew exactly what his best friend was talking about; it was clear from the guilt clouding his cerulean eyes.

Villains forgotten, Wally embraced Dick. "There's nothing to be sorry for," he whispered back. And then a distant boom signaled the end. Wally kept his arms firmly locked around Dick; he wasn't going to die alone, not now. As fire engulfed him, as the shockwave ripped him apart, Wally felt an odd sense of peace and comfort. He had died a hero, at least. But more importantly, he had died close to those he loved. And maybe, just maybe, he would finally get to see Artemis again.

That feeling of loss, of desperate anger, the thirst for revenge and justice still snuck up on the speedster. And though he still argued with the blonde archer, at times, Wally wished he could just show her how much he cared. Because if he ever had to lose her again, he needed to at least know that she knew. But the redhead instead kept arguing, though somewhere deep in his green eyes continuously repeated that he meant nothing of it. He couldn't lose her again. _One day,_ he thought. _One day she'll know._ Until then, he just prayed that every sharp retort he gave would never be the last words she heard.

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**A/N **...I don't think there IS a way to make a cheerful Failsafe fanfiction. Sorry about that, lol. Hope you enjoyed anyway though! Reviews are greatly appreciated.


	3. Aqualad

**A/N **This one is way shorter than the others, but oh well. Hope you enjoy anyway.

**Disclaimer** Don't own Young Justice...yet.

-Aiva

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He was supposed to be the leader. He was supposed to protect the team, be there for them. Yes, his sacrifice had been worthy, but it had left the team leaderless, just when they had needed him the most. Was he even meant to be leader? He knew the logic behind the decision, and, at times, after a successful mission, he felt that he had done the right thing by being in charge. But it was times like these that stuck out the most, when he questioned the team's judgment and his own agreement.

Kaldur placed his head in his hands as if trying to block out the world, closing his light blue-grey eyes as he attempted to organize his confused thoughts. He had managed to keep his cool all throughout the training simulation, despite the destruction of the League and Artemis's death. He could at least remind himself that he remained strong, a leader, in the face of these challenges. Then again, the death of the League, the death of Aquaman, didn't fully count. He had still known, somewhere deep inside of him, that it wasn't real, that his mentor wasn't truly gone.

Artemis's death was different. It was then that knowledge, that reassurance, was wiped away, replaced by the false, horrible realization that all of it was painfully real. Hearing Miss Martian's grieved scream as she called out to Artemis, even though the archer was already gone, unable to hear…it had shaken him. How could a leader allow something like that to happen? He knew he had made the right decision in allowing Martian Manhunter to go ahead in the zeta beams, even though it had meant Kaldur had died. The team needed his experience more.

Then again, he had left them without a leader. At least Robin had stepped up to shoulder the burden, though it pained Kaldur to think of that. Despite his experience, Robin still was young. He wasn't ready to have the lives of his friends, his family, almost, resting on his shoulders. Yet Kaldur had allowed him to shoulder that burden, passing the responsibility to the younger teenager freely.

What kind of a leader would allow any of that to happen? What kind of a leader would allow the youngest member of the team to have to decide who lived and who died? Was Kaldur really the leader the team needed? Maybe. But only because no one else was ready yet. In all honesty, Kaldur wasn't sure he was ready for the responsibility either, but he had taken up the position anyway. Which meant it was his duty to lead and guide the team. It was his duty to protect them.

The Atlantean raised his head, face weary. The fact that it had all been a training simulation didn't change a thing. He was supposed to be their leader.

He had failed.

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**A/N **Yeah, kinda short. Oh well. Reviews are greatly appreciated!


	4. Miss Martian

**A/N **Whew, sorry for the wait, guys. Busy with school and all, and I've been working on some of my other fanfics.

**Disclaimer **Nope. Don't own Young Justice.

~Aiva

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It was all her fault. Things had been going fine until then – well, as fine as things could go in a training simulation designed to make them fail. But then they had forgotten that it was a simulation. And it was all her fault. M'gann knew that she hadn't done it on purpose, and that no one on the team blamed her. But she still felt horribly guilty. Everyone could've really died, because of her stupid, stupid mistakes.

Seeing the League vaporized hadn't been as bad; she didn't fight alongside them every day. She wasn't as close. And at the time, she had known subconsciously that it was all a simulation. Then Artemis had been vaporized. M'gann squeezed her eyes shut as a torrent of images swept over her. Artemis's form, dissolving from the ray of light, her skeleton outlined for a brief second before that too disappeared. _"Artemis!"_ M'gann had screamed as she felt her heart break, grief burning within her, a burning pain that wouldn't disappear or cease.

It was then she had lost the knowledge that it wasn't real. The unbearable pain that shattered M'gann as she realized she had just lost the person who had become like a sister to her, who was like family…it made things terribly, painfully, horribly real. Maybe if she had been stronger, no one else would've had to been hurt like that either. Maybe the team wouldn't be having to go through therapy. But M'gann hadn't been strong enough. It was her that had forgotten, and her mental link with the team had caused all of them to forget as well.

Completely her fault. After Artemis, Aqualad had disappeared. The calm Atlantean who had always tried to encourage the team, keeping the often argumentative team together, was gone in a devastating blow. Then Robin had become leader. M'gann knew he had tried his best, but she somehow saw his plan, and she knew that, despite Robin's intentions, however justified, his plan couldn't be carried out. The price was too great, too painful.

Superboy had been her shield for so long. They were there for each other, reassuring figures they knew they could always rely on. Then Superboy was gone, after he had assured her everything would be okay. _"It's what Superman would do," _he had stated simply before leaving. Then he was vaporized along with the rest, and M'gann had lost that protection and comfort she had relied upon for so long. It numbed her, hollowed her out. In a way, that was a blessing. Her heart had realized she couldn't deal with any more grief, so it numbed her instead. But in a way, that hurt just as bad as the fiery grief that had coursed through her when Artemis died.

M'gann hadn't been fully paying attention as they snuck onto the alien mother ship, not seeing Robin's new plan until it was too late. Her uncle had led her away. They made it out in time, but as the building exploded behind them, M'gann knew that she was the last surviving member of the team. They had lost hope, gained it, and then lost it all over again in multiple attempts. But at least M'gann could somewhat console herself with the fact that her uncle was still with her.

Then his fist had come crashing into her, snapping her ribs and painfully taking out a lung, possibly both of them. M'gann's eyes had filled with tears as she fell backwards, as blackness had invaded her vision. Then she had woken. It was supposed to all be over. But the pain remained, even as she reassured herself by staring at her living, breathing teammates, and the kind look in her uncle's eyes. It took a minute for M'gann to fully understand what happened, but when she did, guilt immediately crashed over her. It still hadn't left, like a painful wound that refused to close completely.

The team didn't blame her; they had assured her of that so many times. But that didn't change the fact that she had watched them all die, that it was her that made the training simulation so dangerous, adding the possibility that they could die in reality as well.

It was all her fault.

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**A/N **Kind of short, but whatever. I'm not completely comfortable with Miss Martian's character...hopefully, it was still okay. Reviews are greatly appreciated!


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